I first must apologize for not answering each and every one of
you personally. I didn’t know where this would go … or if it
even would go … so I took a wait-and-see approach. Would I
have too many responses? Would I have too few? I make it a
policy to always answer each and every email I get … and this
is the first lapse in the nine some odd years since I’ve been
doing Tidbits. Won’t happen again … I don’t think. That
said … wanna read what you folks thought? I hope you’re as
entertained as I was.

Good Idea! This particular one is especially appealing to me since
it is a feline image. In general, great idea! Many thanks.

Zach is the ancient equivilent of a Pet Rock for royalty. Only the
ruler and his spouse could possess one. If they are very large–
they were foot rests for royalty. In any case, they are beautiful!

Is he hollow on the under side? Could he be the ultimate, fancy
mezzuzah?

Question… How big is it? Can you put batteries in it ?

What you have there obviously, is a =93Cheshire=94 (note the grin)
jaguar (or?) on wheels! (Though the right [passenger?] side tire is
flat.] Having but two wheels (somewhat awkwardly placed near the
midsection) this may have been a =93pull toy=94 sort of Zach. Noting
that the neck flares out rather than joining the body as one might
expect, I=92m led to suspect an articulated construction or a containe=
r
=93lid=94. I wonder if the rotation of those wheels might have caused=
a
head- nodding action. The materials used and skill in execution of
Zach lead me to believe it was a gee-gaw made for some hoity toity
individual rather than for the masses to purchase at TwoRiversMart.
Interestingly, the right (can=92t see the left) legs (?) have the
appearance of sheep or rams heads. I must conclude (with every bit
as much authority as anyone involved) that I haven=92t a clue.

Zach, as you have mentioned, is from the Acheimenid Empire, from
Persian descent, is a gold object used to store fragrance in for use
by a woman who found herself in the presence of malodorous visitors,
maybe in a bazaar, the marketplace, or entertaining a husband’s guest
who is oafish and smelly. Push the lever on the side of Zach, and
voi`la, her rescue via jasmine, ylang ylang, or rose oil, she is able
to endure the encounter with a slight smile and a quick “by your
leave,” where she can whisk away and seek solace and relief. There
you have it. Seek no further. You have found the answer to your quest:
Zach is a flask to store perfume or scented oils to aid in
obfuscating offensive odors.

I think this magnificent looking creature is carrying models on its
body of all its past lives.

Hey, no dimensions! No fair! But I would guess some kind of guardian
talisman.

He sure makes a great coffee table ornament, but I’d bet he is a
container of some kind. For something precious, most likely, like
rare spice or incense.

Ok, I’ll bite. In the eras when parchment and papyrus scrolls were
the medium for written record, there were often paired weights used
to hold the rolled ends of a scroll in place while a reader or
writer worked on a section of the manuscript. You didn’t provide any
dimensions, but it didn’t take much of a weight to do this. I think
similar weights are still used for Torah scrolls.

There’s holes in the back, so could be incense burner, but that’s
more oriental I think. I was joking to myself about paperweights,
but really it could have been - a scroll weight or something.
Those curly papers would have been a pain to keep open.

How about a formal knife holder at the dinner table?

I think it looks like big shy cat that is about the pounce upon its
prey.

What gorgeous detail captured in the surface of that gold! One
leetle detail with respect to that magnificently mirrored item of
the goldsmith’s craft seems missing… Something that would maybe
help a Funny-Hatted Reverend maybe dream up a cogent response to your
charming “Wottizzit?” conundrum as-posed. That is this: Kindly
pray tell, how /long/ is this gryphon-detailed liondoggie of a
dragonlike molten image of a Being or Telesmic of the Higher or
Lower Planes (depending), please? (OK, sure, yeah, the goldsmith
maybee mighta been just a-foolin’ around that day with a big lumpa’
gold and nuthin’ better to do yah roight.) Also, are they both
quite solid inside? Or have they any sort of cavity or hollowed-out
belly-area to speak of within? A lively mind with no particular
background in archeology /per/ /se/ but with some few critical
thinking skills left to spare would appreciate knowing. Anything
worthwhile surfaces from the exchange and subsequent contemplations,
I’ll let on quick as can be.

This is great! I would say that Zach is a lion figure from an
ancient space race (note the ‘star wars’ torso) - and thus proof that
aliens have visited earth.

Without knowing the size of zack or the weight, is he hollow or
solid, I would venture a guess that he could be a toggle for a cape
or a garment closure. Using a couple of worked openings in the edges
of a garment that are large enough for the ends of the Zach to fit
through and then over the feet (similar to a buttonhole). In use the
heads would be on the outside and visible, and the middle would show
in the gap between the edges. This would not be very secure on an
active wear garment but it would work for ceremonial, stately
display, the normal kind of use for gold.

Looks like they are religious objects to me - some sort of altar
decoration? Whatever they are, they are beautiful, with great
workmanship.

My first thought was that it might be a chinese style finger trap
but on closer look there is no where to put your fingers!!!

Could it be a head-rest or pillow? the shape resembles Chinese,
Korean and Japanese ancient pillows or head-rests made of porcelain
or lacquered wood. In Korea, I saw some being used and they were
made of woven bamboo.